Local residents in east Co Meath have pledged to blockade a cement plant because of plans to burn meat and bone meal (MBM) in its kilns.  
 
Residents in the townland of Ballinabrackey near Kinnegad yesterday staged a go-slow protest along the road leading to the cement plant, delaying cement trucks going to and coming from the factory.  More than 100 motorists drove up and down outside the gates of the factory at 7.30am. More than 200 locals took part in the protest.  
 
Brian Coffey, chair of the local environmental action group, said local people were very concerned about their health and about the environment when they learned that Lagan had applied for a licence to burn MBM.  
 
He said the company had given written assurances not to use its kilns to burn waste when the plant was first built three years ago.  
 
In a statement, the company said it had no knowledge of this letter. It said that Lagan Cement had extended an invitation to meet with local residents to discuss their concerns but they had not taken up the offer.  
 
The statement also said that burning MBM was completely safe as the cement kilns operate at temperatures of 1,400 degrees Celsius, which rendered the MBM inorganic.